In a closely contested vote, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives fell short in its attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, focusing on the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border.
The measure faced a 216-214 vote, with four Republicans breaking ranks to join Democrats in opposition. Critics of President Joe Biden attribute a surge in illegal immigration at the US border to Mayorkas, making border security a key issue in the upcoming 2024 election.
On Tuesday evening, Republican defectors Ken Buck of Colorado, Tom McClintock of California, and Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin voted against the measure. Another, Blake Moore of Utah, changed his vote from yes to no as a procedural move.
Adding a moment of drama, Democratic Congressman Al Green of Texas, wearing hospital scrubs after surgery, cast a no vote. Even if the House had approved the vote, a conviction in the Democratic-controlled Senate was deemed unlikely for Mayorkas.
The impeachment proceedings were initiated by Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, who expressed determination to pursue the matter despite the setback. She stated, “My colleagues who voted no, I think they’ll be hearing from their constituents.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s spokesman, Raj Shah, indicated on social media that Republicans would revisit the impeachment effort when they secured the necessary votes. Despite the setback, several congressional Republicans affirmed that it would not impact their separate impeachment investigation into President Biden.
Earlier in the day, signs of dissent within the party rank-and-file had emerged over the Mayorkas vote.
